A Partial Least Squares Path Analysis technique was used to test the effect of students' prior experience with computers, statistical self-efficacy, and computer anxiety on their achievement in an introductory statistics course. Computer Anxiety Rating Scale and Current Statistics Self-Efficacy Scale were administered to a sample of 64 first-year…

Internships are an increasingly popular element of higher education in business and provide many potential benefits to students. An internship experience can help students make the connection between their academic studies and the world of business. They can also create valuable connections and networking opportunities to improve the employment…

The goal of the RF program, Part B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), is to have all children reading at grade level by the end of third grade. There is no legislative precedent for this program, focused as it is on preventing reading failure in the early elementary years (US Department of Education, April 2002). Because the design of…

One result of accelerating globalization is the competition for human capital. On one hand, nations are investing more and more in their educational systems to create their own human resources; on the other hand, these nations are struggling to effectively and efficiently utilize their existing human capital. Additionally, there is a massive wave…

The purpose of this study was to determine the retention rate of students who had received academic scholarships versus students who had not received academic scholarships but met the qualifications to receive the scholarships and the effects of emotional intelligence on these students. The data collection mechanisms for this study included the…

This paper focuses on handling measurement error in predictor variables using item response theory (IRT). Measurement error is of great important in assessment of theoretical constructs, such as intelligence or the school climate. Measurement error is modeled by treating the predictors as unobserved latent variables and using the normal ogive…

Analysis of medical and hospital services utilization revealed no consistent differences in number of physician visits by race, income, education, insurance coverage, or religion of users. Lack of insurance coverage and race were associated with fewer hospitalizations for certain diseases. Symptoms and diagnoses of disease were used to control for…

The form of the Johnson-Neyman region of significance is shown to be determined by the statistic for testing the null hypothesis that the population within-group regressions are parallel. Results are obtained for both simultaneous and nonsimultaneous regions of significance. (Author)

Explains genetic algorithms, a means of generating logical rules that predict one variable by relating it to others. Describes how they can be applied to analysis of survey data. (SK)

Blanton and Jaccard questioned the 4-test regression method used by Greenwald et al. to test a pure multiplicative theory. The present authors address Blanton and Jaccard's concerns with a combination of simulations and meta-analysis. Simulations show that (a) Blanton and Jaccard's preferred simultaneous regression method has a severe power loss…

The authors identify and provide an integration of 3 criteria for establishing cue-search hierarchies in inferential judgment. Cues can be ranked by information value according to expected information gain (Bayesian criterion), cue-outcome correlation (correlational criterion), or ecological validity (accuracy criterion). All criteria…

Some simple, nonoptimized coefficients (e.g., correlation weights, equal weights) were pitted against regression in extensive prediction competitions. After drawing calibration samples from large supersets of real and synthetic data, the researchers observed which set of sample-derived coefficients made the best predictions when applied back to…

The topic of "truncation by death" in randomized experiments arises in many fields, such as medicine, economics and education. Traditional approaches addressing this issue ignore the fact that the outcome after the truncation is neither "censored" nor "missing," but should be treated as being defined on an extended sample space. Using an…

More than a decade after the state of Kentucky enacted higher education reform that provided specific direction to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, this research study sought to examine the effect of student characteristics and program characteristics on doctoral degree completion. This study attempted to address the…

The theory of student involvement (Astin, 1984) acknowledges that as students devote sufficient time and energy to educationally purposeful activities, they can expect to make desirable gains throughout the college years. Participation in campus clubs and organizations is one form of involvement found to be associated with a host of learning and…